


Apologies and Promises

by Caedmon



Series: Doctor/Rose Prompts [33]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Apologies, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post Episode: s01e08 Father's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 14:19:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7511599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caedmon/pseuds/Caedmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose have a talk after the events of 1987.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apologies and Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading!  
> This is a combination of two prompts: from lizziea2 "Things you said when you were scared" and an anon "Things you said in our vows." Both asked for Nine/Rose, and this is what happened. :)
> 
> Thank to mountaingirlheidi for the quick beta!
> 
> I own nothing but the mistakes. I wish I did.  
> Kudos and comments feed the muse! Thank you for them!  
> Come talk to me... caedmonfaith.tumblr.com

Rose sat on the jumpseat as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS into the Vortex and away from 1987. Tears threatened, were imminent, but she did her best to blink them back. 

Once the TARDIS was stabilized, the Doctor raised his head to look at her. She didn’t return his gaze, instead she focused all of her attention on her ratty trainers and not bursting into tears. 

She heard him take a couple of shuffling steps towards her, then felt his hand on her shoulder. Her trainers blurred, then came into focus again as the tears she’d been fighting fell to her jeans. 

His voice was soft when he finally spoke. 

“I’m sorry, Rose.”

She didn’t answer, just watched two more tears splash just beside where the first two had fallen. 

“I was a pillock.”

Rose huffed a laugh. _She’d_ asked him to take her there. _She’d_ disobeyed him. _She’d_ caused a paradox and gotten him eaten by the reapers. Yet he was telling her that he was sorry and had been a pillock? 

What on Earth did _he_ have to be sorry for?

Her throat felt too tight to speak, though, and she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to get the words out, anyway. Instead, she swiped a hand across her cheeks, drying them, and looked up into the Time Lord’s concerned face with what she hoped passed as a sunny smile. 

“All water under the bridge now, yeah?” she quipped, aiming for casual. Rose hopped to her feet, hoping to seem as enthusiastic as she always did. “I’m knackered, though. Think it’s time for this little ape to get some sleep!” 

She faked a yawn, ignoring the way the word ‘ape’ stabbed at her heart, even when _she_ said it and not him. 

“Goodnight, then!”

She turned to walk away, but the Doctor shot out a hand and caught her by the wrist. 

“Rose…”

She obeyed the light pressure on her arm and let herself be caught, bowing her head. “There’s nothing to say, Doctor,” she whispered, once again blinking back tears and refusing to look at him. 

The Doctor pulled on her arm and drew her into a hug. Rose was stiff in his arms for only a moment before she sagged against him and let the tears fall against his chest. 

“M’sorry, Doctor. M’so sorry…”

He rubbed circles on her back. “Hush, precious girl. I know.”

She cried against him, the hurt flowing from her eyes and wetting his jumper. He rocked her, soothed her, and shushed her. 

“You’re not a stupid ape, you know,” he murmured against her hair. “Not you. Not to me.”

Rose snuffled. “You said I was.”

“I know I did, but I shouldn’t have. I was scared, Rose.”

She looked up at him, surprised. “You? Scared?”

“Yes, me,” he replied on an indulgent smile. “Bloody terrified, I was.”

“Of the reapers?”

“No. Well, yes, the reapers, too, but mostly I was afraid you’d want to stay back there and leave me alone again. Couldn’t bear the thought, so I lashed out. It was wrong, Rose, and I’m sorry.”

“You _should_ have left me,” she cried miserably, putting her face back to the nearly-lost comfort of his chest. “I don’t deserve to travel with you. You should have left me behind.”

The Doctor caught her chin and held it, tilting her face up to his. “You listen to me, Rose Tyler, and listen well. I’ll _never_ leave you behind. Do you hear me? _Never_. The only way I’d fly off without you is if you demanded to leave me, and even then I’d try to talk you out of it. I was just angry, sayin’ things I didn’t mean.”

Rose felt something quivering in her belly at the intense, dark look in his eyes. 

“D’you mean it, Doctor?”

He nodded and twisted his hand so that he was cupping her cheek. “Yes, I mean it. You have my word, my solemn vow. I’ll never leave you behind, Rose.”

Two more tears splashed to her cheeks, and the Doctor wiped them away with his thumb. 

“Now,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Are you really knackered, or were you just trying to get away from me?”

Rose gave him a sheepish grin. “I was trying to get away. Didn’t think you’d want me around. But I really am worn out. It’s been a long day.”

“That it has,” he agreed. “Tell you what. You go get comfortable; shower, change, do whatever you need to do, then come to the library. I’ll meet you there with some tea, and we’ll read or watch telly. Something relaxing.”

She smiled up at him. “Sounds good.”

He bent and kissed her forehead. “Go now, and get ready. I’ll meet you in half an hour.”

Rose took a couple of steps away, then looked back. “You promise you won’t leave me behind somewhere?”

“I promise.”

She turned and started down the corridor towards her room, missing the last few words. 

“I need you too much to leave you," the Doctor whispered. "I’d rather die.”


End file.
